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OVERVIEW

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Brief Synopsis

A documentary which celebrates the origins of rock--not just the musical performances, but also a portrait of a generation in its youth, still short-haired and horn-rimmed, sleeping in station wagons, beaches and lawns on their way to shows. This is the 1960s before they were the 1960s, when deep thinkers debated whether folk would beat out rock, and screamed "sell-out" when Dylan went electric...

During the 1960's, throngs of young people descended on the Newport (Rhode Island) Folk Festival to hear most of the top folk music singers and instrumentalists perform in a free-flowing series of concerts. As a showcase for the music and a reflection of the temper of the styles, the festival was photographed by Murray Lerner over a 4-year period (1963--66), and the footage was edited for this documentary. Between shots of the young people attentively listening (even in the rain) to their folk favorites and closeup views of the performers themselves, interviews are conducted with the singers and some of their fans in an attempt to explain the appeal of folk music.